Four downs: Keys to Jaguars-Titans game

Sunday is quarterback Chad Henne’s sixth consecutive start since taking over for Blaine Gabbert. So far, the results are inconsistent. The Jaguars are 1-4 in his starts and Henne has four touchdowns and seven interceptions. The audition period wraps up against the Titans, one last chance for Henne to show he deserves to enter the off-season as the starter. What will help the cause is scoring against Tennessee’s 29th-ranked red zone defense. The Jaguars are 1-of-10 inside the 20 the last three games.

SECOND DOWN

Prevent home run play

Tennessee running back Chris Johnson ranks eighth in the NFL with 1,187 yards and he has eight rushes of 20 or more yards. He remains a home run threat. Among the longest six longest runs of his career, three were this year — 94 against the Jets, 83 against Buffalo and 80 vs. Chicago (all touchdowns). The Jaguars have allowed at least 100 yards rushing in eight consecutive games, and in the first meeting between the teams last month, the Titans’ longest offensive play was a 31-yard run by Johnson.

THIRD DOWN

Special teams shock

Something may give in the Jaguars’ favor in the return game. They’re 27th in punt returns (long of 28 yards) and 25th in kickoff returns (long of 38 yards, having gone through a mish-mash of rookies and veterans. Given those numbers, it’s not a surprise they haven’t scored a return touchdown. Tennessee, though, is 25th on punt coverage and last on kickoff coverage (one touchdown). A no-doubt priority for whoever is running the Jaguars’ front office is to find an impact returner who can flip the field.

FOURTH DOWN

Get to four sacks

It took until the 15th game for the Jaguars to have more than two sacks — they got to New England quarterback Tom Brady three times (even if one was followed by a bogus 15-yard penalty). But the Jaguars also produced seven hurries and nine hits on Brady. The Titans’ ravaged offensive line struggled last week, allowing seven sacks at Green Bay, the most by a Tennessee opponent in eight years. The Jaguars’ defensive front has been maligned the entire year so maybe they can finish on a high.